FAQ

Getting Started

WHAT KIND OF MEMBERSHIP DO YOU OFFER?

We offer Basic and Premium memberships which will allow you to immediately receive a USA address you can use to shop online in USA. Click here to apply for a membership.

View and compare our membership options to decide which is best for you. Basic membership is intended for those shipping single packages while Premium membership is intended for those shipping multiple packages (as they can take advantage of the multiple-package discounts and FREE consolidation). Basic membership has 5 days of FREE storage while Premium has 30 days of FREE storage.

Differences between Personal and Business Account?

Personal Account helps for all who are planing their shipments as personal use (Invoice with in the considerable limits is - Rs.50,000)

Business Account helps to ship the products under Company Name with their GST. (Note: Import $ Export License (IEC) is mandatory for clearance in India).

WHY IS THERE SUCH A HIGH DEMAND FOR PRODUCTS FROM USA RETAILERS?

People from all over the world want to buy products from USA because of three (3) main reasons:

1. Low Prices

Even with the shipping costs, our customers have saved a lot of money through the years by purchasing products from USA retailers. When you go to your local store tomorrow, we urge you to do a price comparison and see for yourself!

2. Greater Selection

Having trouble finding the right size or model? Online stores typically have a much greater selection than local outlets, especially in regards to USA retailers.

3. Product not available in home country

Often times, the product(s) made for foreign markets are different from what is sold in USA. So by using ShopUSA, you can differentiate yourself from the rest by buying products that no one else has.

WHY DON’T RETAILERS JUST SHIP DIRECTLY TO MY COUNTRY?

USA retailers typically don’t ship overseas due to five (5) main reasons:

WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF USING SHOPUSA?

Our Priority shipping rates are hard to beat! We offer deliveries to over +100 countries around the world with an emphasis on great customer service.

Expert Logistics Personnel

ShopUSA has been exporting internationally since 2003 and therefore complies with all export regulations, both in regards to warehouse handling and shipping.

Transparent Pricing

You can use our shipping calculator on the top of the website to calculate your shipping charges based on the package size and weight.

PREPAY duties & taxes!

Now you can choose to prepay duties & taxes to better avoid any customs delays and/or additional invoices upon delivery.

SHIP more, SAVE more!

The more packages you ship, the more money you save! You can save up to 85% on your shipping & handling costs by shipping more than one package at a time.

HOW DO I USE MY NEW SHOPUSA ADDRESS?

When purchasing products from USA retailers you must use ShopUSA's address in USA as your very own shipping address:

Name: (Your name)

Address 1: 1424 Baker Road

Address 2: (Your Member ID)

City: Virginia Beach

Zip Code: 23455-3320

State: Virginia

Mobile: 757-641-3696

The most important piece of information that needs to be included is your Member ID. This information we use to identify owner’s of packages when they arrive to our warehouse. If this information is missing, there will be a delay in the shipment.

WHICH COUNTRIES DO YOU SHIP TO?

ShopUSA ships to over +100 countries. See a list of the countries we ship to by going to our Sign-Up page here.

SHOPPING

WHICH USA RETAILERS CAN I BUY FROM?

You can buy products from any USA retailer! That is the beauty of ShopUSA. If you need help finding the right store or product, please use our “Shopping Tips” page by clicking here.

WHERE DO I SHIP THE PRODUCT(S) THAT I BOUGHT?

When purchasing products from USA retailers you must use ShopUSA's address in USA as your very own shipping address:

Name: (Your name)

Address 1: 1424 Baker Road

Address 2: (Your Member ID)

City: Virginia Beach

Zip Code: 23455-3320

State: Virginia

Mobile: 757-641-3696

The most important piece of information that needs to be included is your Member ID. This information we use to identify owner’s of packages when they arrive to our warehouse. If this information is missing, there will be a delay in the shipment.

WHY DOESN’T THE USA RETAILER TAKE MY CREDIT CARD?

There are several reasons why your bank or financial institution may decline your credit card (see below). Please check with your bank or financial institution for more detailed answers

If you are still receiving notices that your payment method has declined, please contact us

ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT PRODUCT(S) I CAN BUY?

ShopUSA does not handle any Dangerous Goods of any kind. Please refer to FedEx’s Dangerous & Restricted Goods Policy . Some product(s) may also be illegal in your country. Please contact local customs if you are unsure. Please note that ShopUSA cannot refund customers if local customs decides to confiscate or dispose of an item.

HOW DO I TRANSLATE A WEBSITE?

HOW DO I SAVE MONEY WHEN SHOPPING FROM USA RETAILERS?

There are many ways to save money when shopping from USA retailers including:

Re-Packing: When a package gets delivered to us, we suggest that you examine the packaging to see if box can be sized-down. This will save you money on shipping costs. You can request this through your Log-In page once package arrives at our warehouse.

SHIP more, SAVE more!: The more packages you ship, the more money you save! You can save up to 40% on your shipping & handling costs by shipping more than one package at a time.

Always use ShopUSA’s address in USA as your very own shipping address when buying products online in USA. Many retailers offer free shipping within USA which you can take advantage of.

Check to see if coupons or discount codes are available. There are many websites that offer this service so we recommend that you search in Google for the keywords “online coupons”.

Sign Up to get e-mail newsletters from your favorite stores. Retailers usually notify their e-mail customers first when a sale starts and/or have e-mail promotions on certain products.

Shop Around: Make sure you compare prices for a product on price-comparison websites. There are many websites that offer this service so we recommend that you search in Google for the keywords “price comparison”.

Check the ShopUSA Facebook pages for coupons and deals.

Sign up for ShopUSA’s newsletter to receive special promotions and notifications of big sales events.

EXTRA SERVICES

HOW DOES RE-PACKING SAVE ME MONEY AND SECURE MY PRODUCT(S) BETTER?

When a package gets delivered to us, we suggest that you examine the packaging in pictures to see if box can be sized-down. This will save you money on shipping costs as shipping charges are often based on the Dimensional weight. Dimensional weight is calculated by multiplying the dimensions of the item. Length multiplied by Width multiplied by Height in inches (L x W x H), then dividing that total by the “DIM Factor.” The industry standard DIM Factor is 139.

HOW DO I REQUEST MORE DETAILED PHOTOS?

ShopUSA offers a FREE basic picture inside all packages that arrive in our warehouse. You can request more detailed photos for an extra charge by choosing "Extra Services" in Login page. This can be useful when you want to know if all of your items have arrived. You can also contact the shipper to make sure all products have been shipped before creating a ship request.

HOW DO I RETURN PRODUCT(S) BACK TO SHIPPER?

If USA retailer shipped the wrong product(s) to our warehouse, then we suggest you contact the retailer right away. You can choose to return your items through Login page by choosing "Extra Services". You simply select the package(s) you want to return and click "RETURN". You have three options: 1. You can purchase a shipment label from us, 2. Upload your own shipment label or 3. If USA retailer provides free return label inside package you can notify us accordingly. Consolidated Package's not possible to return.

How do I SAVE up to 85% EXTRA by consolidating?

As a PREMIUM member (for only $1.99 per month), you can request a consolidation from ‘Extra Services’ in Login page for FREE. Our warehouse staff will use their expertise to consolidate multiple boxes into as few boxes as possible. In most cases, we will be able to reduce your dimensional weight which will, in turn, reduce the "shipping" portion of your final rate. Please note that any extra "handling" incurred before the consolidation will not be reduced. Our shipping calculator will only estimate your "shipping & handling" before consolidation, not after.

RECEIVING & STORAGE

WILL YOU LET ME KNOW WHEN MY PACKAGE(S) ARRIVE?

Yes. We will notify you via e-mail as soon as your package(s) arrive to our warehouse. You can also Log-In to ShopUSA.com to see this information.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MY 30 DAY FREE STORAGE?

We offer 5 days of FREE storage for Basic members and 30 days of FREE storage for Premium members. If a package has exceeded that time frame in inventory then customer will be charged $1/box/day. We urge our customers to ship their packages within those time frames to bypass any extra storage fees. We cannot store packages longer than 6 months from when they were received. After that time, the products/packages will be disposed.

WHY IS MY PACKAGE “ON HOLD”?

The product(s) might be a Dangerous Good or include Hazardous Material. ShopUSA has a strict policy on not allowing Dangerous Goods material inside warehouse or to be shipped internationally. In this case, ShopUSA reserves the right to dispose or return item(s) to shipper at an extra charge if we receive a product with this description.

WILL YOU OPEN MY PACKAGES?

Yes. ShopUSA opens each and every package when it arrives at our USA warehouse. Our trained personnel will take a basic picture inside the box, measure the dimensions of each package and weigh the package. This information is used to estimate the shipping charges to your final destination as well as determine if a product contains hazardous material

DOES SHOPUSA PROVIDE REFRIGERATION?

No. ShopUSA does not provide any form of temperature-controlled storage or transportation. ShopUSA reserves the right to dispose or return item(s) to shipper at an extra charge if we receive a product with this description.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PROCESS MY SHIPMENT?

After we receive your shipment request, please allow for up to 36 hours for carrier to pickup package(s) from our warehouse. ShopUSA only tenders packages to couriers on business days (Monday to Friday), not including certain U.S. holidays.

In some cases, high-value merchandise and shipments may require additional paperwork to comply with U.S. government regulations. This may result in additional processing time for your shipment.

Shipments containing certain animal products, including feathers, animal skin and mother-of-pearl may require review to ensure compliance with U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) regulations. You may experience additional processing time for shipments containing these items.

Shipments that contain items shown on Restricted Items list for a particular country will require additional review by ShopUSA compliance team. Although, it is the customer’s duty to ensure that product(s) sent to ShopUSA’s warehouse are in fact legal for export.

WHY DID I RECEIVE MULTIPLE PACKAGES EVEN THOUGH I ONLY PLACED ONE ORDER?

Retailers often ship parts of the same order from different warehouses or at different times. Some product(s) may also have to be shipped in different packaging due to size and weight restrictions. This shipping practice may entail that we receive two or more packages for same order.

WHY IS MY PACKAGE NOT SHOWING UP IN MY LOG-IN PAGE?

We receive and sign for packages Monday through Friday. When we receive a package you will be informed via e-mail. Please allow up to 24 hours for a package to be registered into our system from the time it arrives to our warehouse.
For us to register packages properly to your account, your name and member ID must appear on package. If it does not have both of those then you may experience delays. Please contact us with tracking number if you think we received your packages but do not see them in login page.

WILL YOU ACCEPT SHIPMENTS SENT TO ME BY MERCHANTS AND INDIVIDUAL SELLERS?

Yes. We accept shipments to our ShopUSA warehouse from any retailer or individual seller.

HOW CAN I MAKE SURE I GET ALL OF MY PACKAGE NOTIFICATIONS?

Please make sure that your e-mail is valid. You can change your e-mail by logging into ShopUSA.com We also recommend that you add our domain ShopUSA to your “Safe Senders” list. You need to also check your Spam filters and make sure all e-mail from ShopUSA goes straight to your main inbox.

SHIPPING

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR SHIPMENT TO REACH MY DOORSTEP?

Once carrier picks up your package(s) from our warehouse, delivery time can be as early as 1-3 days with Priority shipment method!

WHICH COUNTRIES DOES SHOPUSA SHIP TO?

ShopUSA ships to over +100 countries. See a list of the countries we ship to by going to our Sign-Up page here.

WHICH INTERNATIONAL CARRIER WILL DELIVER THE PACKAGE TO ME?

FedEx handle all of our international deliveries from USA to India. We take much pride in calling them our partners having over 40 years of experience in this field.

HOW DO I SHIP MY PACKAGE(S)?

Once your packages arrive at our warehouse, you can view them in your Login page. You can request to ship packages separately or together. You can save up to 40% on shipping & handling by shipping packages together. Before you ship, you can request "Extra Services" like Re-Packing, More Detailed Photos and much more.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE SHIPPING CHARGES?

Shipping & Handling charges include handling in USA warehouse and shipping to your doorstep in home country. Individual charges are also itemized for requests that were made by you involving: Re-Packing and More Detailed Photos. Please note that shipping charges do not include customs fees, tariffs or taxes.

HOW DO I CALCULATE MY SHIPMENT COSTS?

Once you know the Dimensional and Actual Weights of packages then you can determine the shipment costs to your doorstep in local country. To calculate the cost, we recommend that you use our “Shipping Calculator” located in the header of ShopUSA.com. You can also see your shipment costs in your Log-In page.

DO SHIPPING CHARGES INCLUDE CUSTOMS FEES, TARIFFS OR TAXES?

If you choose to PREPAY the duties and taxes then you will not be invoiced separately upon delivery (assuming the product information you provide to us is accurate – you as the ‘importer’ are responsible for any penalties imposed by local customs). This prepaid service is ONLY available if the total product value of your shipment is below $500 and/or you are using Priority or Economy shipment methods.

You can also choose to have duties and taxes COLLECT where Local customs will invoice you separately upon delivery. Collection method depends on destination country.

ARE THERE ANY EXTRA CHARGES RELATED TO SIZE AND WEIGHT OF PACKAGES BEING SHIPPED?

Large package surcharge ($71) applies if package has a billable weight greater than 90 lbs. and/or if (2 x width) + (2 x height) is greater than 130 inches. Additional handling ($11) applies if any one side of package is greater than 48 inches, if seconds longest side is greater than 30 inches and/or if actual weight is greater than 70 lbs.

ARE THERE ANY FILING FEES IF PRODUCT VALUE IS GREATER THAN $2,500?

$20 filing fee (EEI) is applicable if product value of shipment is greater than $2,500.

WHAT IS DIMENSIONAL WEIGHT?

Dimensional weight is calculated by multiplying the dimensions of the item. Length multiplied by Width multiplied by Height in inches (L x W x H), then dividing that total by the “DIM Factor.” The industry standard DIM Factor is 139.

Large items that have a low actual weight relative to their size – like pillows and bean bags will result in a larger Dimensional Weight than Actual Weight. Some people refer to this as “Volumetric Weight”.

WHAT IS ACTUAL WEIGHT?

Actual weight is the weight of the package when put on a scale.

WHAT IS BILLABLE WEIGHT?

Billable weight is the measurement that we use to determine the Shipping Costs. If Dimensional weight is higher than Actual weight then Dimensional weight is used as “Billable Weight” measurement and vice versa.

WHEN AM I CHARGED FOR SHIPPING COSTS?

You are charged for shipping costs when you process your ship request.

Please make sure that you have enough funds to cover your shipping costs before you request to ship. Our payment processor will verify if funds are available or if card information is correct before accepting your shipment request.

DO YOU ADD A FUEL SURCHARGE TO YOUR RATES?

No. Fuel surcharges are added by all major carriers, but ShopUSA does not add a fuel surcharge at this time. This policy provides the best possible value to our customers.

ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTINGS ON WHAT PRODUCT(S) I CAN SHIP?

Yes. Dangerous Goods or Hazardous Material is not allowed in ShopUSA’s warehouse. ShopUSA reserves the right to dispose or return item to shipper if product(s) fall in this category. Certain product(s) are also restricted into certain countries. Please refer to FedEx’s Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Materials policy” to make sure that your product is, in fact, legal for export. Please also check with your Local customs.

What are the Restricted & Prohibited Goods from USA to India?

We are providing detailed list of Restricted & Prohibited Goods will not be shipped to India from USA based on Category.

PAYMENT

HOW DO I CANCEL MY MEMBERSHIP?

Login to ShopUSA.com and choose "Account Settings" in Login menu. If you are a PREMIUM member you can downgrade to BASIC membership where you have NO monthly fees. If you want to cancel your BASIC membership altogether, please contact us.

WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENTS DO YOU ACCEPT?

We accept Visa and Mastercard. We hope to offer more payment options in the near future.

HOW DOES SHOPUSA INDIVIDUAL INVOICE FOR CHARGES?

In order to reduce international transaction fees, ShopUSA consolidated all individual charges onto one invoice at the time of shipping. The invoice will detail each individual charge for each service you requested. We will total all charges and show them as the total cost for the package(s) you are choosing to ship and charge the total amount to the payment method chosen.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON REASONS WHY A PAYMENT IS DECLINED?

There are several reasons why your bank or financial institution may decline your credit card (see below). Please check with your bank or financial institution for more detailed answers.

Payment type has insufficient funds.

Payment provider has placed a hold on your funds.

The payment type has expired.

The security code is incorrect.

If you are still receiving notices that your payment method has declined, please contact us at

WHAT CURRENCY ARE YOUR FEES DISPLAYED IN?

All ShopUSA pricing is displayed in US dollars.

IS MY PAYMENT INFORMATION SAFE WITH SHOPUSA?

WHAT IS A SECURITY CODE/CARD VERIFICATION NUMBER (CVN)?

The security code, commonly known as the “card verification number” (CVN) or “card verification value” (CVV), is a special three or four digit code printed on the front or back of your card (depending on your payment type). Banks commonly use this code to prevent fraud and some banks may decline transactions that do not include this code.

HOW WILL I BE CHARGED FOR CUSTOMS FEES, TARIFFS AND/OR TAXES?

We will provide local customs with the product categories and total invoice amounts that you provide to us in the checkout process. If categories or invoice amounts chosen by you are incorrect, then you may be penalized by Local customs. To determine the costs of these charges you can use the calculator on our front page. Prepaying duties & taxes through ShopUSA is available when total product value is under $500 and/or when Priority and Economy shipment methods are chosen.

INSURANCE & CLAIMS

HOW CAN I INSURE MY SHIPMENT?

Insurance can be purchased in checkout process for 3% of total shipment costs (including shipping, duties & taxes (if prepaid), product value and any other relevant charges). The whole shipment must be insured, not individual items. We recommend insuring every shipment in the unlikely event that something happens to your goods. In the event that your shipment is damaged upon delivery or lost, we will assist you with the claims process.
For damaged items, you will need to follow these steps:Insurance will be covered during checkout process for 3% of total shipment costs (including shipping, duties & taxes (if prepaid), product value and any other relevant charges). The whole shipment must be insured. In the event that your shipment is damaged upon delivery or lost, we will assist you with the claims process.
For damaged items, you will need to follow these steps:
1. Provide us with detailed photos of the damaged item(s)
2. Provide us with photos of inside and outside the packaging
3. File a Damage Report filed with the carrier locally
4. Provide us with a copy of merchant invoice or receipt showing
the purchase price
5. Provide us with proof of salvage value (if applicable)
All claims must be filed no later than 7 days from delivery date. Each claim will be evaluated by insurance provider who will decide if claim is valid or not. In case claim is deemed invalid by insurance provider and/or evidence to support claim is insufficient, you will not be compensated for any damage/loss.Please note, you may NOT file a claim for damage or loss if you do NOT select to insure your shipment.